


Jack of Crows

by Verse



Category: Dororo (Manga), Dororo - Osamu Tezuka
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Demon Politics, Found Family, Gen, Loss of Limbs, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, a full murder of crows, non binary character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-23 01:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verse/pseuds/Verse
Summary: "Demon Hunter. I'm a demon hunter. Though it's not so much hunting, really. Mostly it's checking if paperwork and contracts are in order. Seriously, you would not BELIEVE how bad things can go when you don't read the tiny lines with a demon."





	1. One for sorrow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eternal_song](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternal_song/gifts), [Psycada](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psycada/gifts).



> Dedicating those works to Cicada and Liv, since this was heavily inspired by them yelling abt modern/urban fantasy aus

He wakes up in a bed.

For most people, this would be the start of a brand new day. Perhaps followed with some stretching, or just retreating under the covers some more. 

As it is, Dororo’s reaction is a simple “what the  _ fuck _ .”

He hasn’t slept in a bed in years.

So. Whose roof is he currently under?

At least this doesn’t sound like yet another orphanage. Not enough shouting, for one.

No voices at all, actually. Lot of small steps, but no voices.

Gods, just  _ where _ is he?

The last thing he can remember is… lot of pain.  Lot of noises. Lot of feathers.

And lot of garbage? Apparently??

Maybe he got a concussion. He sure is ouchie enough. His whole body feel like a giant bruise.

At least he’s not tied up or anything. Not that he wouldn’t be able to get out of his binds, mind you; Dororo was a  _ master _ thief, thank you very much. He was the best at what he did, including but not limited to scams, pickpocketing, lying, and, obviously, escaping.

Still. That would have Not Been an ideal way to start the day.

Okay, enough pondering. Time to get up. Yeah, yeah, it hurts a little, but no time to be a baby about it. He needs to get out before the owner comes back and… call the cops or something.

… maybe he could get a little souvenir on his way out?

…… yeah no nevermind, the room is dry as a steamed snail. No posters, no trinkets. Even the shirts on the floor were about the saddest sorriest excuse of garments Dororo has ever laid his eyes upon. Whoever own this place, they have no taste.

Dororo walks-staggers toward the door. Whatever. He’s getting out. He turns the handle, and-

“...Holy  _ cows _ .”

That is  _ not _ what he’d expected to see.

The (man? woman?) person on the computer raise their head, as well as an eyebrow. “Holy caws?  _ Really _ ?”

The crows seem to snicker at him.  _ All _ the crows. That is  _ way too many crows _ in a single room. What the  _ fuck _ .

What is he even supposed to say?? How does one answer a murder of birds judging them???

“I  _ refuse  _ to be schooled by some edgy anime protagonist.” Well. That works. “Do you also have a bunch of bats and wolves in your basement to complete the Halloween look?”

Dororo is aware, somewhere, that he  _ probably _ shouldn’t piss off someone whose house he’s hanging in. But like  _ hell _ is Dororo ever going to bow to anyone, no matter how wounded he is. In this world, it’s asserting dominance or  _ die. _

The person scowls. In a smooth movement, they get up, pushing their chair aside. As they get closer, the crow on their shoulder flap its wind, annoyed-

Uh.

_ Uh. _

“Glad to see you’re good enough to be ungrateful.” They say, their gaze firmly set above Dororo’s head. “You wouldn’t let me check your wounds out, but there didn’t seem to be any blood so I assumed it’d be fine. You should still get checked in a hospital, though.”

Their lips move when they speak. But they don’t flap  _ right _ . There is a lag, of sort. As if they weren’t fully synced.

“...Those aren’t real, are they?” 

The person smiles, eyebrows wiggling.

“You’re gonna have to be a little more specific.” they- the necklace on their throat- answer.

Upon closer inspection- their skin seem real. Their left leg, too.

That’s… about it.

Holy  _ shit _ .

Dororo had seen people with prosthetic before. People with charms, with magic embedded in their skin to replace this or that part.

This person, though, might be the first person he’d ever seen with  _ that many _ .

“Anyway,” the person continues “I couldn’t find your phone or anything on you. You have a way to contact your parents?”

“Yes.” Dororo blatantly lies. This conversation is going into directions he Does Not Like. He’s already walking to the next door, eager to leave this behind. “And I should really go now.”

(The crows’ head follow him. This is Unnerving.)

“Sure.” The person shrugs. “Remember to stop by the hospital! And stay out of trouble.”

Heh.  _ Right _ .

As if Dororo is  _ physically _ capable of doing so.

  
  
  


In the middle of the streets, Dororo realizes that he never even got the person’s name.

Oh, well. They’re probably never going to meet again.

( _ Demon outbreak on Tezuka Street, _ the headlines read. At the very least, he has a good idea as to how he got so bruised up.)


	2. Two for joy

They're growing back.

Dororo scowls at his reflection in the glass. He's gonna have to file them down again before they get too big; it would be much more difficult to con people with those.

The problem being, off course, finding a file of sort that wouldn't hurt like hell...

“Oh, it’s you.”

He recognize the mechanical voice easily.

“...Oh, you.” Dororo quickly brushes his bangs back on his face. Not that it would mean much- the folk doesn’t  _ have  _ eyes. Then again, who knows what magic is embedded is in their skin. “What’s up?”

“Workin.” They look so respectable like this, a cloak on their shoulders, their gaze set somewhere far above the horizon.

The effect is kind of ruined by the crow sitting contently on their head, though.

And what a cute crow too. It has a little pink bow!

“You familiar with the area?” The person rummages in their pocket, pulling out a small paper. “I need to go over there.”

Uhm. Yeah, it’s not too far.

“Sure.” Dororo grins. Does he have anything better to do? No.

…. Is this a golden opportunity to pick some pockets? Yes.

“This way… sir? Ma’am?”

“Hyakkimaru.” The person says, answering precisely nothing. Oh well, Dororo will just have to stick with they for now. “I’m Hyakkimaru.”

“Neat-o.” Dororo says, starting to lead the way. That person’s kind of weird, but at least they don’t seem to be a sticker for honorifics. That’s always a good point. Though how much good is a Dororo Good Point is up to debate. “I’m Dororo!”

(Well, that wasn’t his  _ legal _ name, but like hell Dororo was going to hand out a way for cops to find him to anyone. Besides, his birth name didn’t suit him anymore.)

Hyakkimaru tilts their head by the slightest angle towards him. In acknowledgement, perhaps? Seems receptive enough. “Sooo… what’s your job? You a medic?” They  _ did _ , after all, supposedly gathered him where a demon attack occurred.

They snort. “I wish.” Something dark and fast flies past Dororo, and by the time he’d blinked there is… another crow. On Hyakkimaru’s shoulder. Do they see them as a scarecrow? Their arms sure as woody enough to play the part. If one ignores the glowing glyphs, that is. “I’m a demon hunter.”

Dororo stumbles.

“...Ah.” The second crow (funny, it’s got one really thin leg) tilts its head toward him. Judging? Assessing? (Oh. The leg is made of charmed twigs.) “You kill demons, huh?”

“When they break the law, yes.” They state with a tone that leaves no room for discussion. “We can hardly let faulty contracts go around. This isn’t the 1600s anymore, we can’t let demons and humans take advantage of each other.”

Right.  _ Right. _ “What about humans who purposely sign illegal contracts?” He snickers. “How much in trouble am I if I want to play with the loopholes?”

“That’s not normally of my resort.” It’s hard to read their expression, with their face that won’t face him and their eyes staring straight ahead. But Dororo thinks they’re annoyed. Their eyebrows are drawing closer. “But if you sell something that’s not yours, or you use a contract to commit a crime, trust me, you’ll be in  _ big _ troubles.” 

The bird on their shoulder start rubbing its beak against their neck, and they raise a hand to gently pet its head. “Demons have rights too, after all.”

The very  _ concept _ makes Dororo want to laugh. Then again, the whole  _ legal system _ is a  _ joke _ to him.

He doesn’t say that, though, if only because he’s promised his Mama long ago that he would not wrong the crows. Nothing good ever comes from wronging the crows. 

“Good to know.” His feet come to a stop. “Here’s the place, by the way.”

Hyakkimaru nods at him. “Thanks. Take care, kid.” 

As they move to knock at the door, the crow on their head takes flight.

Dororo should probably take his leave, too. He’s not needed anymore.

He makes sure to put enough distance between himself and Hyakkimaru before starting to laugh. 

“Rights for demons too, huh…” 

As  _ if _ .  _ He _ barely has any rights as a street rat.

“Weirdo.”

Dororo raises the key set he’s snatched in the folk’s pocket. The absolute cutest dog keychain stare back at him, tongue out.

“... good tastes, though.”

Not so edgy after all, eh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll come back tomorrow to make sure there aren't any typos but it's like,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, almost 6am here. I'm dying squirtle.


	3. Three for a girl

In Dororo’s defense, he’d  _ tried _ to ignore the crow at first.

The second one had been harder to mute out, loud as its caws had been.

By the third one pulling at his shirt he supposes he really doesn’t have the choice in the matter.

“If I get into troubles, I’m blaming you guys.” He pouts as he follows them. Which, might be stupid, since he’s talking to  _ birds _ , but he’s also ninety-nine percent sure that those are at  _ least _ familiars, so. If they’re forcing him to come wherever they’re guiding him, he fully intend on making that their problem-

Jesus fucking mother of  _ fuck _ .

The four crows fretting on Hyakkimaru suddenly turn toward him, cawing and calling in complete cacophony.

That. That is a lot of blood.

Disregarding every instinct to  _ flee run GET FAR _ , Dororo rushes toward the hunter.

“Hyakkimaru? Can you hear me?” God, fuck, how does one provide first aid again? Where’s the wound in the first place??

Hyakkimaru, at least, seems to be somewhat conscious. “Ah. It’s you.” the artificial voice crackles- and they wince immediately after, slapping their hand on the side of their head. “Shut up. Please… shut up.”

“No.” Dororo answers, thought his heart isn’t much to banter. At least, if Hyakkimaru can petty, it means they’re probably not gonna die, right? “Hold onto me.” He says, sliding their free arm around his shoulders. “And speak to me. Stay conscious.”

“Not… you.” The pause is weird. It’s not as if Hyakkimaru was breathless, or panting- which they are, but their voice is unaffected by that- it’s more as if they were having trouble keeping track of their thoughts. This is worrying. “The crows… too loud.”

Crows which are now taking off to circle above them. One- the biggest one, with a wing made of leaves- stays at their level. Calling for Dororo to follow?

“Don’t you guys live together?” Never before had Dororo been so grateful to have inherited his mother’s strength- a grown-ass adult, as it turns out, is  _ heavy  _ even (especially?) when three quarters of it is artificial. “I’d have thought you’d be used to them by now.”

Hyakkimaru shakes their head, which is a  _ bad _ idea considering the size difference. Dororo almost topples over with the sudden shift in balance.

“First time I… hear them.” Hyakkimaru frowns. “First time  _ I _ hear them.” they say again, as if the emphasis added the tiniest bit of sense to the sentence. “The noise keep rippling. Echoing. Confusing. I don’t like that.”

Ooooh, okay. They just got a concussion, then! Could have just said so. 

“M’keys…” Hyakkimaru mumbles, at the sight ( _ do _ they see? Clearly it’s not conventional sight, but they’re getting around  _ somehow _ . Is it an aura thing? Dororo had met an old monk like that a while back.) of their door. “In my pocket…”

“Don’t worry, I got this.” It’s a very well-made lock. Dororo can feel magic pulsing from it, both as a deterrent and an extra layer of protection.

Dororo is positive he can still pick it, though.

Not that he’s  _ going _ to, he already has the keys. But he  _ could _ .

The temptation to just dump Hyakkimaru on the couch is great, but Dororo  _ tries _ to a little careful. Wouldn’t want to worsen the wounds, after all.

“Okay my dude, just a heads up I know next to nothing on how to treat wounds.” He knows how to treat his  _ own _ , but he doubts he can be that careless with someone like Hyakkimaru.

“Just… clean it. And bandage it.” Or maybe he can. What does Dororo know about human biology? He didn’t exactly have the chance to hang in school long enough to learn about that.

“I’ll stay for the night.” Dororo says- states, more like- halfway through wrapping the bandages. “If you get any worse, I’ll call an ambulance.”

“Won’t your parents worry?” They’ve been getting more and more coherent in the past hour. That’s a good sign. The shock must be fading away.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” His parents might be worrying  _ less _ to know he’s here, honestly. Assuming the dead have opinions on anything. “Besides, the crows would have my head if I left you alone.”

It’s not like Dororo cares what happens to Hyakkimaru. They barely know each other, after all.

“I’ll be gone by the morning, don’t worry.”

 

(He is. And with a little souvenir, this time.)

(Hey, his shirt is stained in blood. The least payment he can get is a new one.)


	4. Four for a boy

He’d  _ known _ he could pick up that lock.

… He hadn’t expected to get a blade on his throat upon opening the door, though.

“Who are you,” Hyakkimaru’s voice comes out like  a growl, “and what do you want-” 

with a loud caw, a crow barrels through the door and  _ crashes _ on Dororo’s face.

The blade is withdrawn after that, though. “...Dororo?”

hhHhHh feathers in mouth? Bad. “Yah. Hi.” 

“What are you doing here?” Hyakkimaru says, sheathing their sword in their- oh god. It’s their arm. They have legit a blade in their arm. What the fuck.

“I need a place to crash for the night.” In retrospect, throwing a rock at a jock with a gang wasn’t the smartest of moves, but what can he say? Dororo is a creature of chaos and poor impulse control. “And I saved your life last time, so.”

It’s not like Dororo has any other options, honestly. You can only sleep at costco for so long until they start chasing you with a broom.

“Uh. Sure.” Hyakkimaru scrunches up their nose. “... You’re taking a bath though.”

“Well fuck you too. I didn’t hear you complaining about how I smelled before.” Dororo steps in the apartment nonetheless. There are more expensive prices to pay. “You’ll gotta lend me some clothes though, I don’t have any other ones right now.”

“Sure thing. Not like you didn’t help yourself before.”

Ah, shit, they’d noticed? “I was doing you a favor. All your clothes are ugly as sin, someone has to force you to buy better ones.”

“My fashion taste is a problem I can live with.” Hyakkimaru huffs. “Bathroom is this way, by the way.”

Well. Their funerals. Dororo supposes if he had enough money to pick his own clothes, he would absolutely own up his right to look like a drowned duck if it pleased him.

He follows Hyakkimaru's directions, and-

“No locks?” Call him paranoid, but Dororo likes his hiding place with three layers of security, as shitty as they are.

“I live alone. I don't need to lock the bathroom.” Hyakkimaru shrugs, already moving on to what Dororo remembers to be his bedroom. “Don't worry, I'll knock. I'll make sure none of the crows follow you in, either.”

Huh. Dororo supposes he'll have to make do with that.

What is he even getting self conscious for?  _ The folk has no eyes. _

Urgh, feelings. Terrible. Zero out of ten, do not recommend-

_ Oh shit the water be warm fam. _

He's taking it back, feelings are the best thing ever, wouldn't trade them for the world.

Dororo undresses as fast as he can and slides into the water, sighing in contentment. This…..Good. Very good.

(...how long has it been, since he'd had the opportunity to properly scrub himself?)

(He remembers his mother's laughter, his father's smile. Too long.)

There is a gentle knock at the door. “Dororo?” Hyakkimaru's voice calls out. “It's me. I bring towels and clean clothes. Can I come in?”

“Yeah!” Dororo yells back. He sinks a little deeper in the water, only letting his head out. This should look fine enough.

The doors open, and Hyakkimaru comes in. An arm around the fabric, a hand on the wall, they takes slow and careful steps.

“Uh. You okay?”

“Yeah.” Hyakkimaru answers, turning their head toward him for once. “I left my eyes behind so I wouldn't intrude or whatnot, that's all.”

Oh. Oooh.

Disregarding the fact that this didn't explain a single thing… this is pretty sweet. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Hyakkimaru shrugs. When their knee bang the sink, they lean to set down their stuff.

“...You don't have any parents, do you?” They ask, with a quiet voice.

“...No.” Dororo could lie, surely. But… what would be the point? It's not like Hyakkimaru has any ways to use that to hurt him. “And you, you were sold off, weren't you? To a demon contract.”

“...Yeah.” They truly can't see, Dororo is sure of it. Yet it feels like they're staring into his soul, somehow. “You're a smart one, huh?”

It's Dororo's turn to shrug, sending ripples in the water. “It's the first thing you mentioned when you spoke about your job- when people go out of their way to pick a specific example, it's usually important to them.” His gaze falls back down. The bath had turned turned darker with filth ever since he'd stepped in there. “Also, you have a real nose now. You don't just grow those out of thin air.”

When one lives in the street, they've got to be swift, yes. Resistant. But also, observant. Knowing what to expect of potential threats or clients is key.

“Interesting.” Hyakkimaru says. Which is? The listing, Dororo himself ? He can't tell for sure. “Well, I'm heating up leftover curry tonight, so drop by whenever you're done, I'll save you a plate.”

Interesting indeed.


	5. Five for silver

When Dororo pictured crows standing over his motionless body, it was usually in a rather morbid context. Not them just… hanging on his lap while someone else brushed his hair.

Really, a proof that Dororo doesn’t know that much about life.

“Good lord. I’m the one with a murder of crows in my house and yet  _ you _ have the nest in your hair.”

“Unlike  _ some _ , I can hardly pull a disney princess and get ravens to clean me up.” Tentatively, Dororo pokes the head of one of the birds. It seems to lean into his touch.

“You know, instead of showing up  _ here _ of all places whenever you get in trouble with mobs” Hyakkimaru pulls away a particularly unruly strand of hair. He’s surprisingly gentle, considering his everyday job is fighting crime. “You  _ could _ just go to the orphanage-”

“No.”

Urgh. He should have known The Talk™ would be brought up at  _ some _ point.

“Is this because you’re only half human?”

...

**_What_ ** .

Dororo twists around violently, deaf to the offended caws of the crows forced out of his lap. He grabs Hyakkimaru’s collar and  _ pulls _ , bringing their forehead together.

“How do you  _ know  _ that?  _ Who  _ told you that?”

_ (Did they intend on trying to kill him?) _

Hyakkimaru blinks, unfazed. As if Dororo was  _ harmless _ . He would  _ show  _ them harmless. “It’s not easily noticeable, but you’ve got sharp teeth. I just figured you’d found a way to conceal the rest.”

**_WHAT._ **

Dororo stares, bewildered. What the fuck. What the  _ fuck _ .  “You don’t even  _ have _ eyes.”

Hyakkimaru cocks up an eyebrow. “I have more than you do. They’re just not where most people’s eyes are.”

A crow starts pulling at Dororo’s shirt, panicked-

Oh.

_ Oh _ .

“The  _ crows. _ ” He says, understands, accuses- of what? He’s not sure.

“What, did you think I just let them hang around for the aesthetic?”

Okay, yeah, fair. “It  _ would _ suit your tastes.” he huffs- but he  _ does _ drop Hyakkimaru.

“...Yeah, I’m a hanyou. My mother was an oni.” And really, what else is there to say? The story pretty much writes itself. Interspecie romance is never seen with a good eye by society.

Or maybe Dororo just sucks at telling stories. It’s not like he’s had many people to talk to about his parents. “I file down the horns. Most people don’t pay attention to teeth, so I didn’t bother with those.” Not to mention that it hurts  _ so much worse _ .

Though, in retrospect, he  _ should  _ have been more wary of someone whose entire job is dealing with demons. A mistake he won’t do twice.

“That… doesn’t seem really healthy.”

“My  _ life _ isn’t healthy. That usually comes with living in the streets.” This is  _ rich _ from someone missing lord knows how many parts of their body. “It’s much harder to con people when you don’t look human. Or inspire sympathy, for that matter.” And it’s not like he can beg on the demon’s side, either; Dororo’s skin is too smooth, his ears too round. He’s fucked either way.

“...Well. That sucks.”

“It does.” He agrees. His body feels hot, with his sudden outburst. “But I'll live. Can't give anyone the pleasure of dying.”

His back burns, right under the skin.

He  _ will _ live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you can reread chapter 2


	6. Six for gold

“You know, this is actually kind of fun.”

Hyakkimaru pauses, broom in hand, and blinks rapidly. “It… is?”

“Yeah!” Dororo increases the pressure to scrub a particularly persistent stain on the window. “I mean, that's not exactly what I'd do as a hobby, but overall? There are worse things to do.” He hums. “Then again, I don't exactly have a place that needs regular tending, so.”

“Alright, that's fair.” Hyakkimaru says, with that tone they use when they're trying to sound cool but really they're kinda sad. Oh, come on. They  _know_   Dororo is a hobo. Get over it. “Most of the people I know have their own tricks and spells to speed things up, but I gotta go the classic way.”

“Y'know, come to think of it, I never  _ did _ see you use magic.” Dororo sprays some more product on wiper “Aside from, y’know, seeing. You really suck that hard?”

The crows caw weakly when Hyakkimaru push them aside with their broom, gathering their fallen feathers. “Absolutely.” they don't even  _ try  _ to deny it. 

“I've used magic to power up these babies for as long as I remember,” they lift up a wooden arm “but that's all I've ever learned to do. Not that I have enough fuel to spare for other things, honestly, keeping myself alive is already a hassle.” Damn. That's fucked up. “What about you?”

“I know a few tricks.” The same way Dororo knows a few thing about singing, or about drawing; sure, he can carry a simple melody, sure, he can make a stick figure, sure, he can quieten his fingers and his feet, but that's a far cry from breathing  _ life  _ into it. “But I never really got to learn.”

Usually, Dororo focused on  _ bypassing  _ protections, not making them. “My mom was of fire, though. And my dad was a tattoo artist.” Dororo stretches, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Your father was a _yakuza_?!” Hey now, that’s one rude assumption to make! A true one. But a rude one! “That explains so much about you as a person.”

“I told you. I’m the king of thieves!” It… feels kind of weird, to speak to casually about his parents. But kind of good, too. Like tearing off a band-aid.

“Oh, that reminds me.” Hyakkimaru sets their broom aside, rummaging in their pocket. “You still set on not going to the orphanage?”

“ _ Yes _ .” He answers harshly. And that’s not changing anytime soon. “They keep… asking me to be someone I’m not. So yes. I’m not going there.”

Sure, Dororo is hungry and filthy more often than not, in the streets; but his horns are his to file, and no one who beats him up ever call him a girl.

(He doesn’t want his mother’s warmth under his skin to be peeled away from him, either, but that’s not something Hyakkimaru needs to know.)

“Then take those.” They throw something shiny at Dororo. He catches them with a concert of metallic  _ clicks _ .

“...Keys?”

“Yeah, so you can stop breaking the lock every time you need the couch.” Has Dororo really been hanging around so much, actually? He hadn’t noticed. “Plus, I’m gonna go visit my dad in a few days, I’d much rather know you here than out there hiding under a crate until I come back.”

“I can function without you, thank you very much.” Dororo huffs. He still pockets the keys, though.

“... I know.” Hyakkimaru’s voice is so quiet, Dororo almost doesn’t hear them. “I wish you didn’t have to, though.”


	7. Seven for a secret

Crates. Crates. Crates. 

_ So many _ crates.

“Okay, I’ll bite.” Dororo says, closing the door behind him. “Which store did you rob?”

Maybe he  _ is _ exaggerating a little regarding their numbers, but that’s still  _ an awfully lot _ . Hyakkimaru’s apartment isn’t  _ that _ big.

“None.” Hyakkimaru says, sounding at lost. Their birds jump from new thing to new thing, poking with the beaks, curious. “Those are gifts from my dad.”

“Oh, yeah, you did go visit him, right?” Dororo says casually. It’s not like he’s spent the last three days hanging here in an empty silent room or anything. He has a life outside of Hyakkimaru, thank you very much. He didn’t even miss the constant chatter of the crows and the friendly banter. Duh. “So what, did he think you suddenly needed to redecorate? Cuz he’s not wrong, but it  _ is _ kinda sudden.”

“You  _ wish _ .” Oh, he does. If Dororo had a place of his own, he would fill it with so much  _ junk _ . Hyakkimaru only ever has thing that have a practical use. And not even the prettiest of those. Dororo wants to add some  _ soul _ , damn it. “No, I told dad about you, and he just shoved all that stuff at me for you.”

Whoa, hold on, what?

This is  _ not _ the direction Dororo had expected this to go.

“Aww, you talk about me? I’m flattered.” He says in a joking tone, because otherwise Dororo might cry a little and that wouldn’t look so great on the world’s greatest thief.

“Well, let’s be honest, you’re pretty much part of the furniture here now.” They take out a bundle of colorful children clothes and shove them on the couch. “Plus, I had to tell him why I was looking for a bigger apartment.”

“Oh. You are?” That would be nice. Dororo was a small teen- perhaps, a lot smaller than it was healthy to be- but the place is already barely fit seven ravens and a cyborg. He wouldn’t mind being able to more around without stepping on talons. “Wait. You make it sound like I moved in.”

“Well. Didn’t you?” Hyakkimaru pulls out something bigger, rounder- a sleeping bag? “This is also for you, by the way.”

How thoughtful. “I did no such thing. I’m a lone wolf, I’ll have you know. I’m one independent boy.” Dororo crosses his arms and huffs.

One of the crows- the smallest one, Lily- lands on his shoulder. They’ve been doing this more and more often, lately. Dororo  _ thinks _ it’s a good thing. Crow favors are hard to get.

Hyakkimaru makes an unconvinced noise. “... Are you growing your horns out?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah? What’s your point” He runs his fingers through his hair, feeling the small protrusions piercing his forehead. “I’m not conning people much, these days. But have no doubts- I’m still a menace to society!”

“Oh, no one would ever doubt that.” But there’s a smile in their voice, as if they’d won the argument. Somehow. How was Dororo’s answer in  _ any _ way linked to the matter at hand?? “Also, you can read, right?”

“Obviously.” he eyes at the piles of books; the first one is just filled with titles such as  _ first grade calculus _ and  _ elementarism 101 _ . As for the second pile- “Biology books?”

“Yeah, dad’s a doctor so he had those around.” Hyakkimaru says, stacking  _ a study of half-humans _ on top of  _ Oni Anatomy _ . “He wants to see you someday by the way, to do a health check up and all that. Also apparently you may or may not grow tusks at some point, so tell me if you do. Preferably  _ before _ stabbing your own palate.”

“Will do.” Wild. He didn’t think there were  _ any _ studies on hanyous to begin with. It’s probably incomplete, but it’s better than nothing, right? “Is your dad the one who made your limbs?”

“Yeah!” Aw, they sound so proud, it’s cute. Hyakkimaru give their wrist a little twirl, showing off the the polished wood and the glyph. “He studied how to wire life forces to inanimate things, so prosthetic are his specialty.”

… 

“That’s. A funny way to say ‘necromancer.”

Hyakkimaru  _ chokes _ . “He’s a  _ life tailor _ . It’s not anything  _ illegal _ .”

Oh, Dororo is sure this _would_ hold in court. But, he’s not one to be fooled by pretty titles and diploma. “That’s just fancy necromancy.”

“...  _ Maybe _ it’s necromancy.” Hah! Argument  _ won! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new ep in four hours I'm ready to die


	8. Never to be told

The sound of the door makes Dororo look up from his maths textbook briefly, just to check the identity of the newcomer. “Welcome back, Hyakkimaru.”

Hyakkimaru doesn’t answer. Which, well, is kind of unusual, but for all Dororo knows they just had a bad day at work. They walk straight towards him, crows at his heels, and…

“... O…”

Dororo’s face  _ snaps _ back to Hyakkimaru.

“O… oo…” Hyakkimaru frowns, frustrated. Their lips are moving. A voice is rising.

The device around their neck is  _ silent _ .

“Hyakkimaru, your  _ voice _ !” Excited, Dororo suddenly gets on his feet. “ _ Your voice!! _ ”

“...eeeeeeh…” Hyakkimaru growls, almost- which, probably shouldn’t make Dororo this happy, but they’re  _ growling _ , they’re  _ making sound!! _

“This is much harder than it looks like.” Their voice box crackles.

“Duh. Why do you think babies take years to learn that?” Dororo will  _ not _ stand for any self depreciation in this house of god. “This is already awesome on its own!! Be proud!”

“...Arank….” Hyakkimaru takes a deep breath, and, very slowly (very dramatically), drags their hands across their face. 

It’s a hilarious sight. Last time Dororo has seen them so expressive was the last time they played mariokart together.

“Okay, come over here.” He grabs Hyakkimaru’s wrist and tugs, guiding them to the couch to sit them down. He settles next to them. “What you do with the crows. Is it limited to sight?”

Hyakkimaru shake their head. “I used to share hearing with them too.” The voice box answers. One of the birds- Yugiri, Dororo recognizes- caws weakly, as if to approve.

That’s all Dororo really needs to know. “Okay. Do that for me.”

“What?”

“The sense sharing! Do it with me.” Try to follow, Hyakkimaru! “That way you can feel how I talk- like, the tongue and the lips and the vibration in the throat and everything! That way you’ll just have to mimic!”

Hyakkimaru blinks. Stares. “That’s… actually a very good idea.”

_ Duh _ . Dororo’s brainpower isn’t  _ solely _ focused on mischief. Anything involving a shortcut to wealth and-slash-or power is in his realm of expertise.

Yeah, yeah, it sounds bad. That’s on you for believing Dororo was anything but a being of pure chaos only restrained by his own tiny body.

“I never did that with a humanoid, so…” Hyakkimaru takes both of his hands in their own. The wood feels smooth on his skin. It’s not exactly  _ warm _ , per se, but there’s  _ something _ thrumming under the glowing glyph. A pulse, of sorts. “Tell me if it’s uncomfortable?”

It’s-

…

…

…

It’s weird.

Not…  _ uncomfortable _ . But it’s  _ weird _ .

There’s no flash, no pain, no whispers at the back of his head. But Dororo knows  _ exactly _ when Hyakkimaru starts sharing his senses. It’s like- like- like looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing your reflection stare back. Like hearing the floor creak at four in the morning when no one else is in the house. Like being two people, somehow, and one of them is watching at all times.

“...Do.”

“Huh?” Hyakkimaru tilts their head, confused.

“Repeat after me. Do.” Dororo makes sure to emphasize the movement- his tongue behind his teeth (does the sharpness feel weird to his sibling?) the circle of his lips. “Do.”

“...To?” Hyakkimaru frowns. “ _ To. _ ”

“Do.”

“To.”

“Do.”

“Do.”

There we go! “Ro.”

“Lo.”

Dororo shakes his head. “Ro. Roll it more. Feels the air on the tip of your tongue. Ro.”

“Lo.”

“Ro.”

“Ro.”

“Do. Ro. Ro.”

“Do. Lo. Ro?”

“Dororo.”

“Dororo.” And- suddenly, it’s like a dam has been breached. Hyakkimaru’s eyes widen, their eyebrows shooting up. One of their hand fly to their jaw, as if they couldn’t believe they were the one who’d made such a sound. Around them, the crows start chatting excitedly. “Dororo?”

He nods. “Dororo.”

“Dororo. Dororo!” And suddenly- Hyakkimaru  _ barrels _ at him, all weight and wood and  _ laughter, laughter, real laughter so much laughter _ . “Dororo! Dororo!”

And pride swells up Dororo’s chest, wide, wild, like a sun in his mouth- and he’s laughing, too. “You did it! You did it!”

Ah, shit.

He  _ did _ move in, didn’t he?


	9. Eight for a wish

“Hyakkimaru, I can’t reach the sugar!”

Through the closed bathroom door, a voice rises louder than the shower. “Zen grow taller!”

“I won’t take advice from someone who keeps stacking things on the top shelf!” Dororo yells back. A couple of the crows stand on said shelf, taunting him. Hahah, look at us, we can stay here all day long and  _ you _ can’t. 

Dicks.

“Aright, fine, Just… Geeve me a minute.” They’re getting better, at this whole talking thing- a week ago they had little to no control over the volume. Sure, they still bump and crash over some sounds, but overall they sound no different than a foreigner with a thick accent.

“Remember, I’m baking this cake for the  _ both _ of us!” An offended caw responds to that. “... the  _ nine _ of us.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Dororo hears their steps getting closer, closer- and, ah, here they are-

...in their half-naked glory.

“You wanted me to put morre than boxers on, you shouldn’t have sounded so urgent.”  Hyakkimaru huffs. They walk past Dororo, and, effortlessly, picks up the jar and brings it down.

… Dororo can’t stop staring.

“You… have a lot of scars.”

“I do?” A crow takes off to land on the table, which Dororo has learned is Hyakkimaru’s way of double taking. “Oh. I do.”

Well. If that isn’t the most depressing reaction Dororo has ever heard.

Time to do what he does best- divert the conversation. “So, tell me the stories!” He walks to Hyakkimaru and lightly slap their side. “How did you get this one?”

Hyakkimaru’s eyebrows furrows, as if trying to remember (how can someone with so little body have so many damages?) “Oh, yeah. Someone stabbed me through the arm,” they tap above their elbow “and the blade was long enough to reach my waist.”

“What abouuuut” Dororo turns like a hawk (or, well, another of Hyakkimaru’s crows? ) “Those?” he says, pointing at stream of tiny stars all around their shoulders.

At this one, they stay silent.

“... Hyakkimaru?” Bad memory?

“... birds. Have sharp talons. And I cauldn’t feel pain when I was a kid so I. Didn’t realize.”

Oh.

Holy  _ shit _ this is the absolute  _ dumbest _ thing Dororo has ever heard.

“Hey- stop laughing! I’ll ave you I have plenty of glorious other scars!!” Which is sad in itself, but the fourteen-years-old kid in his mind whispers  _ but doesn’t it look awesome though. _

“Aright then. What about those?” Dororo’s thumbs trace the curve of Hyakkimaru’s chest.

“Oh no these ones are just top surgery.”

Top… surgery?

“Yeah, I used to have breasts? But I don’t really need them, so.” Hyakkimaru shrugs. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Traded them to a demon. That’s how I got my voice collar, by the wey.”

Something rises in Dororo, halfway to joy and halfway to kinship. 

Are his fingers trembling? Maybe.

“So, you  _ are _ a they? Or a he?”

“A they.” They pause. “Oh, right, I never told you, did I?”

“It’s fine, that’s what I was using anyway.” Dororo wants to scream, to hug them, to dance because  _ like him, they’re like him _ , but he doesn’t know anyway to do that without being wildly inappropriate. He tries to play it casual instead. “Also, uh. I’m a he. I got boobs too. But I’m a he.”

“Oh. Okay, noted!” There is a hint of joy in Hyakkimaru’s voice, too- or maybe Dororo is just projecting. Sue him, he’s been… very lonely. For a long time.

Maybe that’s why Dororo speaks on impulse. Surfing on that sudden wave of trust inside of him. “You showed me your scars. I… there’s something I want to show you too.”

His mother had told him, ordered him, to never show it to anyone, but…

Dororo wants to be honest with this new sibling of his.

Slowly, he takes off his shirt.

Hyakkimaru takes a sharp breath.

Truth to be told, Dororo doesn’t  _ actually _ know what his tattoo looks like, by virtue of being on his back and all. He imagines it must be ugly, though; burnt on his skin with old blood. A blessing applied like a curse.

“Who did that to you?” Hyakkimaru says, with a soft, soft tone.

“My mother.”  _ On one snowy night, bright red on blinding white _ . “It’s a protection rune. It keeps me warm in winter and.. stuff.” 

He’s not sure what stuff includes, exactly. His mother didn’t exactly have the time to tell him, back then.

(If he's being honest- but when is Dororo ever?- he’s a little scared to find out, too. He has  _ fire carved inside his flesh _ . What good can it be? What bad can it be?)

Hyakkimaru walks towards him and, gently, wraps their arms around him.

“Thank you,” they say, “for trusting me.”

Dororo hugs back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering Dororo's tattoo look like this (from the game sunless skies):  
> https://gyazo.com/e81dee8439c63c7e705f7cdb2e9e27da


	10. Nine for a kiss

…

…

…

There is someone on the couch.

Why is there someone on _his_ couch.

“Oh, that’s Mio.” Hyakkimaru says, closing the door behind the both of them. “She’s probably asleep. We should be quiet.”

Dororo does that, if only because the crows themselves stop cawing. (Besides, buffering his own steps has pretty much become a reflex to him by now.) Still, he whispers as he passes the groceries to Hyakkimaru. “Do you just give out your keys to all your friends.”

Hyakkimaru sticks their tongue out. “Only you and Mio. I’m not  _ irresponsible _ .”

Which  _ would _ be fair, if Dororo wasn’t 90% sure that made up  _ all _ of Hyakkimaru’s friends. 

(Hey, no judging; Dororo knows better than anyone how hard it is to fit in when you don’t belong to either specie.)

“She crashes here sometimes after work.” Hyakkimaru explains, stuffing the tomatoes at the bottom of the fridge. “Plus, I’d asked her to look up something for me- that’s probably why she is here.”

Alright, that’s fair, that’s fair. Still sucks that she’s using  _ his _ couch but- he’ll live.

“Can you make some tea for when she wakes up?” Hyakkimaru asks, “I’ll go check on her.”

Is Dororo imagining the soft tone rounding Hyakkimaru’s voice?

“Sure thing, go ahead.”

Hyakkimaru doesn’t need to be told twice, already moving toward the sleeping form. Without much else to do, Dororo tries to ignore his sibling’s indistinct whispers and sets some water to boil, finish cleaning up the kitchen, and even gets out some cookies for good measure.

By the time he’s done, Hyakkimaru is back. Gently holding the woman’s hand.

Ho. Ho. Ho~

“Good morning.” Dororo says, blatantly ignoring the clock clearly displaying 3:00 pm. It’s always morning when one wakes up. “Green tea okay?”

The woman nods. She still seems sleepy (which would be funny, if the bags under her eyes didn’t seem so wide) but she beams at him nonetheless. “You must be Dororo, right? I heard a lot about you.” Oh? “I’m Mio. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise.” Dororo smiles. He doesn’t like strangers, usually. But… if that’s one of Hyakkimaru’s friends, she must be safe. As he pours cups, the two adults sit down.

“Well, your request makes more sense now.” She says to Hyakkimaru. “I thought he was around five.”

“ _ Excuse you?!”  _ He!! Is!! Fourteen!! HE CAN SAY FUCK!! “What did  _ you _ tell her?!” 

Hyakkimaru  _ laughs _ . Fuck off. Literally fuck offfff. 

A crow lands next to Dororo, rubs its beak against his hand- to comfort, perhaps. That’s it. That’s Dororo’s new sibling now. He doesn’t make the rules.

“Anyway,” Mio smiles, taking her cup, and even if it’s tired it’s so genuine it takes Dororo aback. Genuineness is… rare in his life. Don’t get him wrong, he loves Hyakkimaru- and Dororo functions in the same way, anyway- but most of his interactions with people usually have at least one layer of roughhousing protecting their true feelings. It’s… weird. He can get used to it. But weird.

“Here’s a place that could work.” She unfolds a paper in front of her. Immediately, another of the crows jump on her laps and settles there, glancing at it. “It’s big enough for two, the rent is affordable, and they swear up and down that they accept in humans and demons alike.”

That sounds pretty good, which, in Dororo’s opinions, means it is extremely shady. Hyakkimaru, the smart cookie that they are, opens their mouth before he can to voice exactly that. “That sounds sweet. What's the catch?”

“The residents keep complaining about some bell-ringing guy at night.” Mio sips some of her tea. “Also, despite all those good things, they’ve been looking for a new resident for pretty much forever, and still haven’t found any. There might be more going on, but no one is willing to talk.”

Mmmmh That Is A Bad.  Hyakkimaru-

Holy shit Hyakkimaru  _ smiles _ with the softness of someone petting a dog. Dororo doesn’t think he’s ever seen them like this. “Don’t worry. At best, that’ll be our new apartment. At worst, I’m bringing a couple extra grenades with me in case it turns out to be owned by a mob ready to rob me or something.”

Yeah, fair. Even Dororo wouldn’t try fighting off someone like Hyakki-  _ hold the fuck on. _ “You have  _ grenades _ ?”

“Yes.  _ I _ have grenades.” Hyakkimaru’s eyes narrow. “Which are  _ mine _ . Which means  _ you don’t touch them _ . Got it?”

“Got it, got it.” He lied. Hyakkimaru wouldn’t miss one or two, surely.

“Got it as in forreal, or got it just like you  _ got _ that you shouldn’t mess with my swords?”

Oh, now they’re just being petty. Dororo pouts. “You got them back in the end.” Swords are too hard to conceal. Now, on the other hand…

(Sue him. Dororo feels safe, here. In this house. With those people. He feels  _ safe  _ in a way he hasn’t in years- a decade- forever. 

But outside, he is fully aware that he is very much not. He’s a human with horns, an oni of small stature. 

Leave him to his paranoia, leave him to his weapon obsessions. They have been two very reliable companions through survival.)

“Besides, it’s not like  _ I’m  _ the worst sibling here.” Dororo huffs, readying his trump card to divert the conversation. “Look at  _ you _ , making Mio sleep on  _ my _ bed.”

Mio blinks at her name, face turning sheepish. “Ah, sorry- you sleep here? I’m sorry, I just kind of crashed…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”  _ There. There it is _ . “But next time, use Hyakkimaru’s bed!  _ Clearly _ he wouldn’t mind.”

Hyakkimaru  _ chokes _ , red as their eyes.

**_SCORE_ ** **.**

  
  


(For the record, Hyakkimaru does not, in fact, notice a couple grenades missing, or Dororo's pockets being heavier.)


	11. Ten for a bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw for canon-typical violence, little kids being slammed on walls, and irresponsible use of explosives.

Blur.

Sound.

_ Pain _ .

Dororo groans, blinking rapidly. His head hurts. His everything hurts. The light is too bright; his body too heavy.

He can’t make them out very well, those shapes and those movements in front of him- but it’s not hard to guess, that Hyakkimaru is fighting the demon.

Fucking.

Never, ever, trust a landlady.

Dororo is tired. God, he is so tired.

No, no, he can’t sleep here. He can’t sleep here. It’s dangerous. It’s a trap. He needs to get out. He needs to get up and  _ out _ .

Yet he doesn’t move.

If he closes his eyes, just a second… just a second, must be okay, right?

Dororo snorts- groans, really, the sound too weak to carry out. Who would have thought apartment hunting would be so dangerous?

Somewhere, in a corner of his mind, one still blaring with  _ SURVIVE SURVIVE _ , Dororo realizes now is definitely not the time to make this kind of jokes, but frankly he can’t bring himself to give a fuck.

He’s so tired.

Just… whatever…

His eyes flutter, close…

**Give me fire.**

They snap right back open.

The world is still fuzzy around him, but the words- command- order is clear as water in his mind. Heat rises, spreads, from his back. Overruling the pain. Overruling the fog.

**Give me fire** .

A scream pierces the air- Hyakkimaru’s. That’s Hyakkimaru’s. That’s- Hyakkimaru  _ fighting _ , in this closed room, fighting this big- thing. 

Six shadows fly above them, around them, giving his sibling new angles to spot weaknesses and moves.

Dororo lowers his head.

On his lap, the seventh crow is staring at him.

**Give me fire,** it does not say, but Dororo hears all the same.

( _ You do not wrong the crows _ , his mother’s voice echoes.  _ Do not wrong the crows _ .)

**Give me fire.**

Fire?

There is fire in his skin. There is fire in his veins. Running, spreading, chasing away the fatigue, chasing away the doubts.

**Give me fire** .

Dororo’s hands find his pockets. 

Fire, he can give. 

He sees the demon, landlady, Bandai, rear back to charge Hyakkimaru again- and Dororo takes aim with his right arm and  _ throws _ .

The grenade explodes at her tail.

Her howl rattles Dororo’s concussed skull as if it was an unopened christmas gift, and he winces. Is it Hyakkimaru felt when he got his ear back? Gross and overwhelmed?

Oh fuck oh shit  **_oh f_ **

Dororo raises his arms to protect his face, trying to scramble back on his feet-

_ Impact. _

And his back and skull hit the wall- again. Teeth dig in his left arm, tear through is skin and flesh, hurting, hurting, it’s hurting so fucking  _ much _ , his bone is going to  _ give, _

**Give me fire.**

The rune on his back pulses, responds, determination swelling up his lungs and his throat to the tip of his horns.

He hears Hyakkimaru calling out his name.

A human would be afraid. A demon would be angry. But for a second, a single glorious second, Dororo feels none of these things; flames dance in his soul and embers fuel his heart. For a second, Dororo feels nothing, nothing but heat and the deep-rooted certainty that he is  _ ending _ this.

A human would be afraid. A demon would be angry. 

Dororo  _ burns _ .

**Give me fire** .

_You do not wrong the crows._  


Dororo _snarls_.

In his left hand, the grenade explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember kids, even if the rent is cheap, if it seems shady find somewhere else.


	12. You must not miss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that would not fucking end I swear

He wakes up in a bed.

Not on the floor. Not on the couch. Not in a crate. In a  _ bed _ .

Something is wrong. 

God, has waking up always involved being so  _ sluggish? _

Dororo brings his arms up, intending to get up. His right hand find the sheets-

fuckfuckfuck _ fu _

Strong arms catch him before he falls. “Don’t strain yourself,” their owners says, “hold on, let me help you.” their voice soft and gentle as they sit Dororo up.

But that’s not a voice Dororo knows.

His head snaps at the- bearded guy, in front of him- and he  _ snarls _ , teeth out.

The stranger doesn’t flinch, which is a good point in Dororo’s book, but that’s still a  _ stranger  _ and god damn it Dororo is  _ not _ going into another orphanage. 

“It’s alright.” He says, soothing- if Dororo wasn’t so  _ heavy _ he would have  _ shown  _ the guy some fucking  _ soothing _ . “I’m a doctor. I’m Hyakkimaru’s father. I am not a threat.”

Yeah, right, that’s what they all say.

But the mention of his sibling’s name relaxes him, somewhat. He lets his gaze wander over the man- Jukai, if memory serves him right. Well-built, beard so fluffy it might be a kitten of its own, there is softness in his eyes, like…

A teddy bear. The guy is shaped like a teddy bear.

“You don’t look like a necromancer.” Dororo blurts out, because everything is heavy and sleepy and he’s starting to wonder if he is on meds right now.

“Technically, I have a doctorate in Botanokinesis.” Jukai answers, which doesn’t deny anything. The man gently takes his right hand, setting his thumb on Dororo’s wrist to sense his pulse.

“Pretty sure that only works on living things.” Something about redirecting the flow of magic already present in a being, or… something. He did his schoolwork! Really! But it’s hard to remember it through the fuzz in his skull. Besides, it’s not like he intended to learn how to control  _ plants _ of all things.

“You’d be surprised to know how many people don’t know that.” Jukai answers, moving his hand on Dororo’s forehead. “Botanokinesis is an overlooked discipline.” Yeah, because  _ trees _ are about the  _ furthest _ thing to cool and badass you can ever find.

“So what, you woke up one day and decided to become a criminal?” Something is thrust in Dororo’s right hand, who almost crosses his eyes trying to focus on it. Cold. Round. Glass. Water? “Because what a worm.”

“I’m going to pretend this actually made sense.” Ah, oldsters, these days. So out of touch with modern slang. Jukai has a sad smile. “Unfortunately, the one thing you’re sure you won’t have a shortage of on a battlefield is dead bodies. I had to learn to make do.”

Oh.

Well. That became awkward.

“But no matter. I broke the Geneva convention already, I might as well use this to help my patients.” Jukai pushes Dororo’s hand up, bringing the glass to his lips. “Drink up. They’re painkillers. Do you remember what happened?”

Dororo hesitates to drink, unwilling to drug himself off, but… that’s Hyakkimaru’s father, right? He can be trusted?

“We went… apartment hunting.” He says, then gives his paranoia a big middle finger and swallows the cold water in one go. “To that place Mio recced us. It was nice. Wide enough. But there haven’t been people there in a really long time, I could tell. And…”

_ Hard wall against his back. _

_ Hyakkimaru screaming. _

_ The landlady’s form shifting. _

_ Feathers. Blades. Scales. _

_**Give me fire.** _

“Oh.”

His gaze falls on his left shoulder. His arm. His elbow. The middle of his forearm.

He doesn't reach the wrist. It ends before that.

Oh.

That’s why he couldn’t sit up earlier.

“You’re lucky you have that rune of fire.” He hears Jukai say, distantly, distantly, because an entire part of his body is  _ gone vanished not here _ and Dororo can’t tear his eyes away, can’t focus on anything else. He- his- he can still  _ feel _ his fingers- the last time he’d looked, it was  _ there _ , what the  _ fuck _ . “otherwise, you would have lost more than a hand.”

“Is Hyakkimaru okay?”

He hears Jukai breathe in. “Yes.”

He’ll miss that hand. He’ll miss that arm. Hell, whenever the painkiller is going to fade off, Dororo is going to  _ hurt _ like hell. “Then it was worth it.”

At Jukai’s chuckle, Dororo, finally, turns his head.

“No wonder you two adopted each other- you’re just like them, aren’t you? Undying loyalty and no self preservation.”

Dororo snorts at that. “Sue me, my parents raised me well. Hyakkimaru will probably tell you the same thing.” 

“Oh, he has. Multiple times. His one saving grace is that he had a lost less to lose as a kid.” Now that’s a thing to imagine, baby Hyakkimaru playing with fake limbs. Endless teasing material for sure. “Do try to be careful in the future, though. Hyakkimaru was worried sick about you. And making you a new hand isn’t as easy as you’d think.”

Yeah… yeah, Dororo will try to do that. He likes being in one piece. One big piece. “Just a warning, I have like, no money to pay you that.” He says, because he still has some inkling of pride in him that refuses to take charity.

Jukai looks at him strangely. Puzzled? Confused? “You’re Hyakkimaru’s family. You’re pretty much my step-son at this point. You don’t have to pay me anything.” Abort!! Abort!! Another genuine person!! How is Dororo supposed to function without his armor of snark? “Besides, I’ve always wanted to use those dragon teeth.”

Yeah, that’s fair-  _ Hold on to use  _ **_what_ ** -

The sudden sound of a door closing startles him.

“Dad! I’m home!” He hears Hyakkimaru’s voice call. The sound of footsteps follow- and falling things- and swearing- and cawing. “Where are you?”

“Over here!” The footsteps shift this way. “Dororo’s awake!”

The footsteps stop.

Then they  _ speed up _ .

“DORORO!” The bedroom door  _ slams _ open, and here they are, breathless and panting and eyes wide and-

_ their left eye is looking at him _ .

“You’re awake!” Hyakkimaru calls, frantic and desperate and so  _ relieved _ , and they dash towards Dororo-

-only to trip and fall in Jukai’s arms.

"I told you not to rush.” He scold gently, getting his child back on his feet. “It takes time to get used to new senses.”

“That’s only because human eyes suck and crows are better.” their left eye moves- moves!!- to look at Dororo- to  _ look  _ at  _ Dororo _ .

Despite his current condition, Dororo can’t help but smile. “Hey there, big sib.”

Hyakkimaru  _ jumps _ on him, drawing him close close close to his warm warm warm chest.

“You absolute  _ dumbass _ .” they growl in his ear. “Don’t you  _ ever _ do that again! I thought you were dead!”

Dororo hugs back- as best as he can, anyway. “See the good side of things. Now we match!”

“ _ I’m _ not someone you should aim to become!”

And yet, despite all the anger and worry, neither let go.

He’ll miss that hand. He’ll miss that arm. Whenever the painkiller is going to fade off, Dororo is going to  hurt like hell. 

But it was well worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason why Jukai has to use dragon teeth for Dororo's hand is bc he can't use wood, as it would interfere with the fire rune and be way less effective.
> 
> Anyway, Osamu Tezuka's ghost came to me in my sleep and whispered "listen here my fellow furry, everything you've done in your life has lead you to this moment; it's time to do what you were sent on earth to do. it's time to be self indulgent as FUCK" and I wrote 9k in 12 days.
> 
> Let us never forget that this whole trainwreck started because someone wanted to school me on what is canon and what I was allowed to headcanon/write. Wild.
> 
> Technically fulfill the colorful slip challenge, Green: write an AU of 8-12k. Trust me I'm the first one surprised by this development.
> 
> ANYWAY, special thanks to:  
> \- the dororo discord for encouraging me  
> \- Liv, who is the whole reason why I wrote urban fantasy and twelve chapters to begin with  
> \- Nadejaro, whose username I'm probably spelling wrong but that's how I keep saying it, because your reviews give me LIFE.
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope y'all enjoyed! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Some dumbass was whining about how I made Dororo trans in another fic and if anything is gonna convince me to make a multichap with complex worldbuilding it's spite 
> 
> All your faves are queer, enjoy.
> 
> Anyway, you can find me @versegm of tumblr and pillowfort


End file.
